Abstract: The Justitia Davis papers include scrapbooks, photographs, music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts,
and certificates that document the life and career of actor and music teacher Justitia Davis. The papers are arranged into
three series: Performing arts, Education, and Photographs. The bulk of the papers consist of 467 photographs most of which
are personal photographs of Davis’ family and friends in the 1920s-1940s.

Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English

Access

No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.

Access Restrictions

Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating.

Publication Rights

Permission to publish from the Justitia Davis Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.

Singer, actress, pianist, and music teacher Justitia Davis Scott (1918-1976) was born on May 31, 1918 in Oakland, California
the daughter of music director and teacher Lillian Jeter Davis and T. M. Davis. After attending schools in Oakland, Davis
transferred to Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington during her sophomore year graduating in 1936.

Following high school, Davis was active in Elmer Keeton’s Bay Area Negro Chorus before landing the lead role of Sulamai in
the 1938 Federal Theatre Project’s San Francisco production of Hall Johnson’s Run Little Chillun. Run Little Chillun’s critical
and box office success spurred an adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Swing Mikado the following year, featuring Davis
in the role of Yum-Yum opposite Jester Hairston. The Swing Mikado production included performances at San Francisco’s Geary
Theatre and at the Golden Gate International Exposition at Treasure Island in June, 1934.

During 1940s, Davis worked as a piano teacher and continued to be active in Elmer Keeton’s Chorus. Her piano students performed
recitals at the Chapel of the Chimes throughout the 1940s-1950s and she served as a soloist and co-director of Keeton Memorial
Chorus. In the 1960s, she also acted in the role of Mama Younger in a 1961 production of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in
the Sun at the University of California Berkeley, and she replaced Gertrude Jeanette in an off-Broadway production of To Be
Young, Gifted, and Black.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Justitia Davis papers include scrapbooks, photographs, music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts,
and certificates that document the life and career of actor and music teacher Justitia Davis. The papers are arranged into
three series: Performing arts, Education, and Photographs. The bulk of the papers consist of 467 photographs most of which
are personal photographs of Davis’ family and friends in the 1920s-1940s. The photographs are arranged into five subseries:
Performing arts, Family photographs, 3rd Baptist Church Youth Choir, Syd’s Barbershop, and Assorted.

The performing arts series includes music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts documenting Justitia Davis'
career as an actress and music teacher. The two scrapbooks document Davis' performances in The Swing Mikado and Run Little
Chillun and include telegrams, theatrical programs, photographs, and newspaper clippings. The music and theatrical programs
include programs of Davis’ student piano concerts at the Chapel at the Chimes during the 1940s and a program from the University
of California Berkeley’s production of A Raisin in the Sun in 1962. The education series includes two of Davis’ yearbooks,
The Arrow, from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington in 1934 and 1936 and Davis’ music teacher certificate.

Arrangement

Series I. Performing Arts
Series II. Education
Series III. Photographs

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.

13 publications were removed from the collection and added to AAMLO's library collection.

Collection Contents

Performing arts

Physical Description: 4 folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

Includes music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts documenting Justitia Davis' career as an actress and
music teacher. The series also includes two scrapbooks related to Davis' performances in The Swing Mikado and Run Little Chillun
which include telegrams, theatrical programs, photographs, and newspaper clippings.

Arrangement

Arranged by format.

Box 3:4

Music and theater programs

Box 3:5

Newspaper clippingscirca 1930s-1969

Scrapbooks

Box OM13

The Swing Mikadocirca 1939

Box OM13

Run Little Chilluncirca 1939

Artifacts

Box ART1

Chet Washington teeth necklaceundated

Box ART1

Ethiopian/U.S. flagsundated

Education

Physical Description: 3 folders

Series Scope and Content Summary

Includes Justitia Davis' two yearbooks, The Arrow, from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington and her teaching certificate.

Box 3:1

The Arrow, Garfield High School, Seattle, Washington1934

Box 3:2

The Arrow, Garfield High School, Seattle, Washington1936

Box 3:3

Teacher’s certificate1951

Photographs

Physical Description: 372 photographs

Series Scope and Content Summary

Includes 467 photographs documenting Justitia Davis' family, friends, and performances as an actress and musician. The photographs
are arranged into five subseries: Performing arts, Family photographs, 3rd Baptist Church Youth Choir, Syd's Barbershop, and
Assorted.

Arrangement

Arranged by subject and thereafter by photograph identification number.

Group photograph of Justitia Davis and piano recital students inside Chapel of the Chimes, reverse: 'Justitia Davis Scott
1st left, Chapel of the Chimes a recital by Justitia could use chapel for free always on Sunday afternoons' [359]
circa 1940s